25 killed as wedding party bus party falls into gorge in India’s Uttarkhand

Online Desk :

At least 25 people have been killed when a bus veered out of control and plunged into a gorge in India’s Uttarakhand, Indian media report.

The state’s disaster response force and police rescued 21 people from the spot near Simdi village after the accident on Tuesday night.

The vehicle was carrying over 40 people who were returning from a wedding.

State police chief Ashok Kumar told news agency ANI that all of the 25 victims were found dead on the spot and the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals. “Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight,” he added.

Ashok tweeted visuals of the overnight operation, in which rescue teams can be seen taking the injured passengers to safety.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office in a tweet termed the accident “heart-rending” and said his thoughts are with the victims’ families.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his condolences over the deaths and said the state government stands with their families, broadcaster NDTV reports.